Mason Mount will not be an automatic starter for Manchester United and must fight for his spot at Old Trafford, according to the club’s former striker Louis Saha.
Mount completed his move to Old Trafford from Chelsea on Tuesday with United paying an initial £55m plus up to £5m in add-ons. He becomes United's first summer signing as manager Erik ten Hag readies his squad for Champions League football.
Mount, 24, has signed a five-year deal with the Red Devils, who fended off competition from rivals Arsenal and Liverpool in order to earn his signature. Having agreed personal terms weeks ago and already met his new team-mates at the club's Carrington training base, Mount is now a United player.
After entering the final 12 months of his Chelsea contract and having rejected multiple offers to extend his 18-year stay at Stamford Bridge, the Blues decided to sell Mount in order to recoup a sizeable fee and not risk losing him for nothing next summer.
However, former United striker Saha does not believe that the England international will automatically walk into Ten Hag’s starting line-up. “ Mason Mount isn’t necessarily going to go straight into the Manchester United team,” Saha explained, speaking to Paddy Power. “It’s such a long season coming up and he’ll have to fight for his place.
“It’s a big transfer fee for someone who’s only got a year left of his contract but he’s going to bring diversity to this team because he’s a very smart, active and busy player. He’s also very creative and those are things that Manchester United have sometimes missed recently.”
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Saha added: “They need creativity, but also mobility and only Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes had that last season. Mount can do it but from midfield, rather than from someone like Antony or Rashford. He’s like a playmaker but a bit more mobile and he’ll open up the way they play and give more options.
“He’ll create more one-on-ones for the strikers and it’s a brilliant signing.”
Mount will now fit into an attack-minded midfield which is often anchored by Casemiro and spearheaded in attack by Bruno Fernandes. The former Chelsea player is likely to most directly compete with Denmark international Christian Eriksen for a starting spot.
“It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career," Mount said upon completing the move. "Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squad it is that I’m joining, and I can’t wait to be part of this group’s drive to win major trophies.
“Everyone can see that the club has made big steps forward under Erik ten Hag. Having met with the manager and discussed his plans, I couldn’t be more excited for the seasons ahead, and am ready for the hard work expected here.
"I am hugely ambitious; I know how amazing it feels to win major trophies and what it takes to do it. I will be giving everything to experience that again at Manchester United.”
